Alison Arngrim Recalls Little House on the Prairie Superfan Who Got Her Face Tattooed: 'Lovely' 

Michael Landon’s daughter Leslie Landon also revealed that a group of men had her father's character, Charles Ingalls, tattooed on their bodies

Alison Arngrim attends the "Little House On The Prairie" Photocall during the 63rd Monte-Carlo Television Festival on June 15, 2024
Alison Arngrim. Photo:

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty 

Alison Arngrim has seen just how devoted some Little House on the Prairie fans can be.

The cast of the popular 1970s drama was asked during the show’s panel at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival in Monaco on Saturday, June 15, about the “strangest” or “quirkiest” thing they have seen fans do to pay homage to the show. Arngrim, 62, had a quick answer to the question.

“The tattoos,” she said. “Now you wouldn't necessarily think Little House tattoos. Several people actually have gotten the ‘Little House’ tattooed to say on the shoulder.”

The actress recalled that one fan she met even had a tattoo of her Little House on the Prairie character, Nellie Oleson, on his body. “He already had Vince Neil with Mötley Crüe and he had Elvirahere, but he had Nellie Oleson here. Lovely, really, really lovely rendition of Nellie Oleson," she said of the fan.

Alison Arngrim attends the "Little House On The Prairie" Photocall during the 63rd Monte-Carlo Television Festival on June 15, 2024
Alison Arngrim attends the "Little House on the Prairie" photocall during the 63rd Monte-Carlo Television Festival on June 15, 2024, in Monaco.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty 

Arngrim added that fans have also inked her signature on their bodies. “In several cases, I've been asked to autograph people's arms, and then they went directly to the tattoo parlor to have that inked into their skin permanently,” she explained.

When her fellow cast members expressed shock at her admission, she added, “And it’s true. And I kind of went, ‘Well, all right then, that's what you want. Well then, fine, okay.’ ”

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LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE -- "The Campout" Episode 9 -- Aired 11/19/1975 -- Pictured: (l-r) Melissa Gilbert as Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder, Alison Arngrim as Nellie Oleson -
Melissa Gilbert (left) and Alison Arngrim in 'Little House on the Prairie'.

NBCU Photo Bank/Getty

Michael Landon’s daughter Leslie Landon chimed in to say that she saw a group of “four large men” at the 50th Anniversary Cast Reunion and Festival for the show in March who had “a massive tattoo of Charles Ingalls,” the character her father portrayed.

“It was incredible,” she said.

Despite the success that Little House enjoyed, Arngrim has previously been candid about the difficulties she faced as a result of it, including the sudden fame she experienced at the young age of 12.

“When you look at what an adult goes through — going into show business, sudden loss of privacy, becoming very famous, stalkers, craziness — think about that happening when you're 9,” she explained in an interview with PEOPLE in April.

“You're still learning. Imagine you haven't gotten to long division yet. You're learning basic math and learning to read, and you now need to deal with what the National Enquirer thinks about you,” she added. 

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The actress said her “bad girl” character took on a life outside of the show. "People hated me. They hated me, hated me,” she noted. However, decades later, she has since become one of the most celebrated Little House cast members.

“I don't get it myself, but all I know is somehow it has worked out that now being on Little House and having been Nellie Oleson works for me as opposed to being a curse, a burden. It's now something that has helped me in my life,” she said at the time, adding, “I must be doing something right.”

All nine seasons of Little House on the Prairie can be streamed on Prime Video and Peacock.

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